Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01
ain two yearsr queried Mr.. Rightbody,

ain two years" queried Mr.. Rightbody,
curiously.
child, that would give me time enough to
wean it. !"
Mr.. Rightbody looked at this flesh of his
flesh, pretty and palpabls flesh as 1t was; but,
being confronted as equally with the brain of
his brain, all he could do was to say meekly:
"Yes, certainly. We will soc about all
that tomorrow
Miss Alice rose. Something in the FREQ,
unfsttsred swing Of her arms Is she rested
them lightly, after half yawn, on her 1.-the
hips, suggested his next speech, although still
distrait and inpatient
"You continue your exercise with the
health-nft yet, ses."
EYES, papa; but I had to give up the nan-
nsls I don't 80 how mamma could wear
them But my dresses are high-necked, and
BY bathing l tougher my skin. See |" she
addsd, as with q child-liks unconsciousness,
shs unfastened two or three buttons Of her
gown, and exposed the white surface Of her
throat and neck to her father, ~ can defy
chill"
Mr.. Rightbody, with something akin to .
genuine, playful paternal laugh, leaned for
ward and kissed her forehead
"It's getting late, Ally" he said parentally,
but not dictatorily. "Go to bed"
II took nap of three hours this afternoon"
said Miss Alice, with dazzling smile, ITO an
ticipate this dissipation. Goodnight, papa
Tomorrow, then"
Tomorrow" repeated Mr.. Rghtbody, with
his eyes still fxed upon the girl vaguely.
Goodnight"
Mis- Alice tripped from the room, possibly
trine the more hght-heartedly that she had
parted from her father in one of his rare mo-
ments of illogical human weakness. And per-
haps it was well for the poor girl that she
kept this single remembrance Of him, when,
fesr, in after years, his methods, his reason
ing and indeed all he had tried to impress
upon her childhood, had faded from her
memory.
For, when she had left, Mr.. Rightbody fell
again to the examination of his old letters.
This was quite absorbing; so much so, that
he did not notice the footsteps of Mrs. Right
body on the staircase as she passed to her
chamber, nor that she had paused on the
landing to look through the glass half-door
on her husband, as he sat there with the
letters beside him, and the telegram opened
before him. Had she waited moment later,
she would have seen him rise, and walk to
the sofa with disturbed air and slight con-
fusion; SO that, on reaching it, he seemed to
hesitate to lie down, although pale and evil
IDENTIFY faint. Had she still waited, she would
have seen him rise again with an agonized
effort, stagger to the table, fumblingly refold
and replace the papers in the cabinet, and
lock it, and, although now but half conscious,
hold the telegram over the gas flame till it
was consumed For, had she waited until
this moment, she would have flown unhesi-
tatingly to his aid, as, this act completed, he
staggered again, reached his hand toward the
bell, but vainly, and then fell prone upon the
sofa.
But alas! no providential nor accidental
hand was raised to save him or anticipate the
progress of this story. And when, half an
hour later, Mrs. Rightbody, q little alarmed,
and more indignant at his violation Of the
doctors rules, appeared upon the threshold,
Mr. Rightbody lay upon the sofa dead
With hustle, with thronging feet, with the
irruption of strangers and hurrying to and
fro, but. more than all, with an impulse and
emotion unknown to shs mansion when IL
owner was in Life. Mrs. Rightbody strovs to
call back the vanished life, but in vain The
highest medical intelligence, called from its
bed at this strange hour, saw only the Demon
stration of its theories made year befora
Mr.. Rightbody was dead-without doubt,
without mystery, even a correct man
should die-logically, and indorsed by the
hirhaaf medical a,,fhorifv